Trouble
by DBZer16
Summary: The Red Ribbon Army has overthrown Earth's government. The new race of blended saiyans and humans, Hybrids, have built a resistance force with the help of Dr. Briefs. Top rank agents, Bulma and Vegeta won't rest until the war is won, and maybe have a little 'fun' along the way. Rating may go up.
1. The Troublesome Duo

Disclaimer: 'Tis a sad day when one believes a teenager owns a hugely popular series called Dragon Ball Z, but is still writing fanfiction for it.

Trouble

She shrieked as she rounded the corner, bullets whizzing by. She looked up to see her partner in crime running atop the town's roofs like some vigilante from a comic book. "Damn it, Vegeta!" She pulled her hand gun out from its holster on her belt and fired at a crate with a bunch of fruit. Several of the men chasing her tripped over the spiky orange things and fell, but she still had six on her tail.

"Don't you dare blame this on me you insufferable woman! You're the one who told the jackass to go suck –" He suddenly jumped from the roof and landed in a crouch on top of a food stand within the busy bazaar when another goon fired at him.

He saw one of their adversaries coming for Bulma from an alley up ahead. He flung his arm out towards a balcony and a thin metal cable shot out from his long-sleeved coat. Tightening its hold on the railing, he swung down and delivered his foot to the man's face.

She soon joined him by his side. "Yeah, well, you didn't do much to discourage me!"

"Seven o'clock."

"Got it." Without looking behind, she fired a single round and heard a thud from behind, followed by a wail of pain.

"I could have done better."

"Go to hell. It got rid of him, didn't it?" He shrugged as he searched the area for a good place to duck under and finally lose their pursuers in the busy Arabian market place. He yanked on her arm for her to stop when they reached an intersection in the dirt road. Pulling a small gray orb from his pocket, he threw it on the ground and a huge puff of smoke erupted from it.

When the men reached the intersection, they glanced around helplessly until one spoke up. "Split up! They couldn't have gotten far!" They ran off in different directions, holding their fire arms menacingly.

When they were gone, an explosion of feminine laughter could be heard from the rooftops, accompanied by masculine chuckles. Bulma was doubled over, her face bright red with amusement. "Woman, don't forget to breathe." When she finally calmed down, she lightly punched his bicep.

She took a deep breath and stretched her arms above her head. "That was horrible. They shouldn't have even seen us."

"Please. You wanted them to."

She shrugged. "I needed a change of pace. We should get going or else you-know-who will be pissed off."

"Hn."

They hopped back onto the ground, ignoring the incredulous stares from the locals they got as they left the main gate of the small village and began a journey through the desert. Bulma groaned as she wiped the sweat from her brow. "How the hell are you wearing that coat out here? I'm frying and I'm not wearing half as much as you." It was true. She wore denim shorts that reached mid thigh, a black tank top that was cut off half way, exposing her toned stomach, combat boots, and her gun and knife holsters. Vegeta had his full length black coat that concealed the cables he used to reach odd places, combat boots as well, a tight fitting blue muscle shirt, and jeans.

He smirked. "You're just upset I'm not wearing less."

She sniffed indignantly. "As if. It just seems impossible that you're not dying of heat stroke right now. It's almost 120 degrees out here!"

"We'd get to the check point a lot faster if you would stop bitching. Besides, it'll cool down once the sun sets."

"I'm just trying to make conversation, you ass." When he didn't respond she sighed and decided to change the subject. "How are the cables working?"

He shrugged. "I'm not used to them yet. I doubt I'll be using them often. I'm more comfortable with a sword or at least a gun."

She laughed lightly. "Yeah, I figured, Mr. Sharpshooter-Slice-and-dice. Still, I don't think he would have given up until you tested it on a real mission for him. Now that he knows it's safe for someone of your experience, he can let a newbie train with it. You'll get your toys back when we arrive at base. Kami knows you'll be almost as trigger happy as I am."

"I suppose."

"You're not much of a conversationalist, you know," she said, growing annoyed.

"Hn." She inhaled to prepare to speak again, but he interrupted her. "Do all females babble this incessantly or is it just you?" She 'hmpfed' and crossed her arms.

When they reached the ten mile mark, Bulma checked her watch. "Alright, I think we're good." She pulled a capsule out of her pocket and threw it on the ground. A hover bike appeared. She was about to get on when Vegeta slid in front. "Hey!"

"I'm driving."

"Bastard," she grumbled, but slid on behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

"Don't flatter me." With that he revved up the engine and they took off, dust and sand billowing up behind them. The sun had started to go down and Bulma grew tired. She nuzzled into Vegeta's muscular back and drifted off. After a while, the desert sand held a blue tint to it, and the sky grew dark with bright speckles of stars. Eventually a black blur became visible against the landscape ahead. Vegeta nudged his partner awake and pointed to their ride.

They found Krillin and Juu playing poker inside the helicopter when they stepped on board. "'Bout time. You guys didn't stop for a romp in the desert did you?"

Bulma rolled her eyes as she sat down behind their pilots and buckled up. "Please, Krillin, the sand would have gotten in the most uncomfortable places and we do have an apartment back at base. What about you and Juu? Surely you didn't just play poker the whole wait?"

The shorter man just blushed. His girlfriend turned around as Vegeta was about to sit. "I would take the other side if I were you."

His nose scrunched up and he almost gagged as he took the middle seat instead. "Disgusting."

The blonde waved him off. "Don't act all high and mighty. You two do the same."

"Yes, but not in a secret transportation aircraft that is fully loaded with at least thirteen different types of explosives," Bulma cut in.

"You have you hobbies, I have mine." Neither of them could argue with that.

Krillin adjusted his head set and began pressing buttons as he seized the controls. "Okay, is it just me or does it smell like awkwardness?"

"It _smells _like absurdly timed sex," Vegeta groused.

The base that they currently lived at was the center of all the operations that were done. Artillery, weapons, new recruits, vehicles... Everything major was developed there. It was the heart of the organization hidden within a deep lush jungle in the tropics. Teams were usually a pair of partners of their choosing, but there could be three or more in a specialized group.

Fake trees split apart to reveal a clearing for the helicopter to land on. The landing pad began to sink underground, and they found themselves under the pool of water at the base of the waterfall after being moved through several tunnels. Actually, most of the base was underground, only about an eighth of it visible from above.

The four left the hangar, the pairs splitting off to finish different tasks. Bulma and Vegeta entered a large conference room where the lights were dimmed and a holographic projection was emitting from the table. On one side, sat Dr. Briefs and the other was a man with threes eyes and a short doll-like person. "…and then you'll need to penetrate the west side, Chiaotzu. Tien will take Lieutenant Kirk out while you keep that exit clear. Your checkpoint will be about a mile due south from there. Good luck. Oh, Bulma, Vegeta, come sit." The two assassins stood and left.

"We got it, Daddy. Really, a fourth rank mission? That was way too easy." She slapped a folder on the table and waited while her father looked it over.

"Very good, darling. You may both have some leave time until further notice." The older man patted his daughter on the shoulder. "Oh, and, Vegeta, my boy, how did the cable work out for you?"

He removed the device from his wrist and held it out for the inventor. "Fine, though my preference lies with my sword and gun."

"Of course. Thank you for testing it for me. I should be able to shrink the design with due time, but this will do for now. I'll see both of you around."

They walked the halls alone, everyone else either gone on a mission or in bed – most likely half of them not even sleeping. Since they were alone, Bulma latched onto Vegeta's arm and let her head rest on his shoulder as they walked. "How long do you think it will take them to realize that we don't actually do it that much?" she mused, referring to Juu and Krillin's assumption that they had sex frequently.

He shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. We won't run a high risk of children until things are safer and the Red Ribbon Army has been removed from power. After that," he smirked, "I'm sure it will be a nightly ritual."

"I would hope so. Birth control pills are almost non-existent now." She yawned as he entered the code for their room and the door slid open. Stumbling like a drunk, she made her way to the bathroom to wash up before bed. Vegeta stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed, deciding his shower could wait until morning. Bulma came back in after twenty minutes or so, wearing nothing more than her sports bra and sleeping shorts. She climbed in with Vegeta and felt his arm wrap around her waist in a protective manner. Soon, his heartbeat lulled her to sleep.

…

They slept in until noon. Vegeta didn't bother opening his eyes when he felt warm and perfect lips mold against his in a most pleasant wake-up call. He wrapped his arms around her as his tongue demanded entrance. They fought for dominance, as always, before she relented to him. She moaned as she ran her fingers through his hair, looking smug at his annoyance when she pulled away and nipped his nose playfully.

She laid her head on his muscled chest and closed her eyes with relaxation. "So, we have some time off…what do you propose we do?"

A faint blush tainted his cheeks as his stomach answered her for him. She giggled and pecked his cheek before getting up to dress. He shut the bathroom door behind him for a quick rinse off and emerged no less than five minutes later in sweats and the tight fitting black shirt.

As they meandered down to the cafeteria, they heard a barely suppressed giggling around the corner. They looked at each other knowingly, having a good idea who was making the noise. Sure enough, Launch was laughing as Raditz made some remark, leaning on him for support.

"What's so funny?" Bulma asked as they approached.

Raditz looked slightly irritated, but more amused than anything. It was then that she noticed that he had his long, unruly hair tied back. She looked at the other blue-haired woman and she nodded. "Apparently my other half got him to pull it back since he won't cut it."

The taller man rolled his eyes as she linked arms with him and followed Bulma and Vegeta to get lunch. The group sat next to Chichi and Goku, everyone but Raditz and Vegeta talking animatedly. Between mouthfuls of food, Goku asked, "What's your dad working on now?"

Bulma prodded her ramen with her chopsticks in thought before answering. "I think a better question would be: What _isn't_ he working on? I think his main focus is the ki barrier though. He's called me in a few times for input. If we can get the network down, you guys will be able to access your ki, and we'll make swift gains towards our little revolution. Especially with saiyan blood and all."

"Of course," Vegeta cut in, "it's not just a matter of shutting down that damnable system. We'd have to find a way to keep it down long enough for us to train and get used to our energy again. It won't just pop back. We've been severely weakened over the years."

"We'll figure something out. For now, I suggest we enjoy ourselves and our break."

"Hey, B!" Bulma cringed. Plastering a false grin on, she turned around to see her ex walking up with his squad members, Puar and Maron. Yamcha's team was one of the lowest ranked in the entire resistance force. That was mostly Maron's fault for obvious reasons.

Just before they reached the table, Launch sneezed, reverting to her blonde counterpart. Raditz greeted her and she nodded. She scowled when she saw the no good cheat and his slut of a girlfriend standing next to their table. Vegeta's eye twitched.

"Hi, Yamcha. What do you need?" Bulma bit out.

"What, a guy can't just come over to say 'hello?'"

"Not like you've ever done it before."

"Well-"

"I knew it." Seeing Vegeta was done eating, she stood, and gently tugged on his arm to let him know she wanted to leave. He was more than happy to be rid of the weakling's presence.

"But I didn't even say anything, B!"

Maron pouted. "Yeah, you mean lady! Stop being rude!"

Launch snarled. She couldn't stand the hussy. "Shut up you stupid whore!" Raditz smirked. She certainly kept everyone on their toes. He liked that.

Not even bothering to look over her shoulder, she waved to her friends. "I know what you want, and the answer is no. If you want to get bumped up in rank, get a better partner or stop fucking in the middle of a mission. Vegeta and I are _more_ than fine together. That's kind of why were first rank, dumbass."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. How his woman ever tolerated that fool was beyond him. At least he knew he had the satisfaction of being her first. Such a moron would have been unworthy of her. He allowed her to lead him to the weapons vault, where she pulled his semi-automatic and sword out. He caught them with ease when she tossed them, and strapped the sword across his back. "About damn time."

"Let's go to the training rooms."

"What happened to enjoying our time off?"

"I need to hit something. That pathetic bastard has a lot of nerve for such a coward."

"Indeed."

When they reached one of the sterile white rooms, they locked the door behind them, and Bulma waved up at Yajirobe, who was working the operating booth for this room. "So I take it we're doing this one together?"

He nodded. "With me at this pitiful level, there is more to gain by synchronizing our movements rather than training separately and being out of tune in a real fight."

She smiled. Pressing the intercom button, she commanded, "Level 62 please."

"You crazy? You're gonna get killed."

"Just do it, dumb nuts." The obese man raised his hands in mock surrender before typing in the proper code. Vegeta unsheathed his sword and Bulma pulled out her cutlasses. Robots emerged from the walls and surrounded them. Laser cannons folded out from the ceiling panels, and the gravity increased by 5 Gs. Bulma could only handle double that much whereas Vegeta could take at least 50 Gs.

A green light flashed and Bulma squeezed the trigger. Vegeta cut one of the droids in half and used another one's momentum against them as he threw it into the air where his trigger happy lover let bullets fly through its chest.

They kept fighting, dodging the lasers, and hacking down the bots until they were back to back. Vegeta dropped into a crouch as a red beam shot by, and let Bulma roll over him as she shot another one down to the side. As he hopped to his feet, he plunged the blade behind him and smelled oil leaking to the floor. He grabbed the thing by the arm and threw it in front of her so the next blast from the ceiling hit it instead. He felt the air shift as two bullets whizzed by his head and imbedded themselves in the metal skin of the training bot behind him.

They worked like a well-oiled machine, cutting down the attackers and flowing with one another's movements. By the time Vegeta bounced off the head of the last robot, ran up and leaped off of wall, and severed the last cannon from the ceiling, they sported no more than a couple scrapes, some bruises, sore muscles, and a layer of sweat.

They had demolished 120 robots, and twenty laser cannons.

…

Generations ago, the saiyans made contact with earth. Trade prospered, schools and communities integrated easily, people traveled between the two planets, and as was the inevitable, hybrids were born. At first, the King of saiyans had been outraged, but it soon became apparent that mixing human and saiyan blood produced almost abnormally strong offspring. They were welcomed into society. At one point, one of the saiyan royalty had a half-blood as well. Genes were mixed up. The children of those children of those children mated between saiyans and humans indiscriminately.

Of course, there were many who were opposed to crossbreeding and integration, but it was a time of change, and they were ignored for the most part.

Vegeta, Kakarot (or Goku, as he like to be called), Raditz, and every other saiyan on earth was a result of mixed breeding. It was actually impossible to track because almost everyone had the blood of the respective aliens flowing through them, even if it was only a miniscule percent. Those whose genetics ran strongly, however, like the earlier mentioned, were easy to distinguish. At first, the warrior race had worried that they would become weak, but if anything, they got stronger with each generation.

After nearly seven centuries of this harmony between what was now considered one race that became known as Hybrids, tragedy struck. Vegeta-sei was destroyed when a meteor collided with it. Then, nearly twenty years ago, the Red Ribbon Army overthrew the world's government. A full-blood human, Dr. Gero took the reins in the wake of the catastrophe as dictator. He knew the saiyan hybrids were a serious threat, even matched against his androids. So, he created a vast network, like a grid, that stretched everywhere. Projected from the ground and satellites, it covered the globe like a second skin, and prevented any ki access for saiyans or humans. His obedient androids and volunteers for the cause made up his army. He ruled over the world with an iron fist, decimating small towns, cutting off water, raising taxes, drafting children into his army, everything.

Bulma and her father had been trying to disable that system for years.

When Gero first came into power, a Namekian named Piccolo, Raditz and Kakarot's father, Bardock, and Master Roshi had helped Dr. Briefs set up the resistance that grew into a large subculture. They were abducted when Goku was about four. No one expected them to be alive.

Vegeta's father had been killed while trying to get him and his mother to a base when he was five. Gero was hunting them down because they were the royal family, and he wanted them dead. Only he and his mother made it to the base, but he was alone two days later. She had been poisoned. He never got to meet his little brother. No one did. They were incinerated and their ashes returned to the earth. That was the last day the hybrid prince cried.

Bulma's mother had fallen ill during one of the underground bases' construction. Her lungs became infected, and her throat swelled up until she suffocated.

Now, at the ages of 22 and 24, Bulma and Vegeta were still determined to end the war. They would accept nothing less than total victory.

…

The next day, Bulma was down in her lab while Vegeta sparred with Goku. The armor that the saiyans first brought when the two races met had stopped being made when Vegeta-sei blew up and no one had been able to replicate or improve the material since. The only pieces left were antiques and worth a lot of money.

She was incredibly close to perfecting her prototype. If she got it right, they would be able to withstand a number of attacks from gun fire, to actual fire. Of course, it would be years before they could go into mass production, but she was more focused on getting the damn thing to work first.

Meanwhile, he side-stepped the incoming fist with grace and ease. How he longed for the day when he would battle with the aid of his ki. It would be a wondrous sight. But, for now, he was reduced to the strength of an exceptionally skilled and powerful human.

Kakarot flew at him with his leg extended, which he grabbed to throw him to the floor. The younger man caught himself on his palms, and used his other leg to kick the prince on the side of his head.

Neither of them had noticed a growing crowd at the glass panel that was the wall separating sparring rooms. Nor did they notice bets being made.

Fighting each other, they both found something invigorating. Like they were born to beat the crap out of one another. It felt so right to be pummeling their rival with their fists. They fought often, but always managed to bring a surprise or two.

They locked horns as they tried to win the knockout. The crowd was yelling and hollering, but they didn't notice. All they knew was the fight.

"You're slipping, Kakarot," he grunted as he gave another punch.

"Not as fast as you, Vegeta," he replied as he ducked under the fist.

Only a few more blows were exchanged before they landed simultaneous hits to their faces. Both fell to the ground, and the mob waited with baited breath. Vegeta slowly hauled himself to his feet. There was much screaming, cursing, and the sound of money being handed to smug gamblers.

Vegeta couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Pft. Welcome to the Revolution."

_A/N: And…another one. There are two more (both AU) that I'll get around to posting, but my plan is to not get stuck on one thing. So, if you like my other stuff, you can alternate between stories, and I won't feel pressured to churn out updates every five seconds. Win-win._


	2. Countering The Foe

The man gulped and tugged nervously at his collar. He was a nobody. Easily replaced. Expendable. Worthless.

And the bringer of bad news.

He knocked on the giant door, and waited for what seemed like centuries before it opened. "Um, Lord Gero, sir, I have General Blue's overdue report from last month." The room was very elegantly decorated, with misplaced screws, hammers, and other tools strewn about on the work table. A man, fierce and insane, sat in a plush leather chair, his back to the messenger.

"Ah, yes. He was stationed off of the coast in Taiwan, correct?"

"Uh, yes, Sir."

"And what exactly did his report entail? He'd better have a good excuse for a month's tardiness." He was tinkering with some small device, metal parts clinking together at random times.

The man swallowed. "General Blue reported a resistance force taking out the base, looking for information concerning the ki blocking network. He sent footage of the incident, as well as his apologies for letting such a thing happen. It seems he's been trying to make repairs." The man's chair swiveled ever so slightly.

"Mr. Tao." There was a gunshot, and the messenger was dead. "Thank you. Such an ignorant, stupid man. Bring me the tapes Blue sent immediately."

"Right away."

The security tapes began to play on the monitor in front of him. Two of his soldiers dragged a woman into the building. They took her through the halls towards the holding cells. Just before they tossed her in the tiny room, he saw her smirk. She had blue hair, and Gero knew her to be the daughter of his enemy, Dr. Brief.

About an hour later, after fast-forwarding, of course, the west side of the base exploded. The scene switched to find a man of average height (leaning more toward the short side) with a flame of coal black hair, stabbing the guards through their chests with his silver blade. He killed them with ease, running them through with the sword, slashing their stomachs open, slitting their throats. Gero could not help the look of surprise and shock that crawled over his bearded face.

"It can't be…"

Then, the east side detonated; and that side held the prison. The view changed again to see the daughter of Dr. Brief, Bulma, dashing through the halls, shooting everyone in sight dead. She made sure there was no soul left standing, as did her more saiyan partner. She turned to the camera and shot it.

A few minutes later, the north side collapsed in another explosion, where the archives were. Soldiers were running everywhere at this point. Gunshots were fired, people were screaming, and the entire building was in chaos. Two figures could be seen back to back in the breeze way, shooting and cutting up everyone in sight.

One had blue hair. The other had spiky black.

When they were surrounded by dead bodies, the alarm was still screaming. Reinforcements were on their way. The pair smirked. Running across the courtyard that was soaked with blood, they jumped at the wall, and started using throwing knives to scale it. When they reached the top, the man took a small device from his pocket, leaned over, and threw it into the window directly below him. There was a puff of smoke in the background, and soon the rebels were riding on sky bikes away from the fortress.

The screen turned to static.

Gero snarled as he crushed his glass of liquor. "Prince Vegeta," he seethed. "And the Brief bastard's blue-haired bitch of a daughter." He held his hand out. Nineteen dried it promptly, and handed him a letter.

_Lord Gero,_

_What occurred at Taiwan was unforgivable, and I take full responsibility, I assure you. As for the files that were stolen, we are uncertain. They thought to disable the security cameras in the archives. However, our experts have used evidence from the crime scene (or what little there was left of it) and suspect that they stole information on the Lunar Project. The agents that raided were confirmed as Bulma Brief and Prince Vegeta, as I am sure you are well aware._

The rest of the report consisted of specific damage, artillery use, soldiers lost, etc. Details Gero left to his lesser in command.

_General Blue_

His scowl slowly lifted into a grin. "The Lunar Project, huh? And the prince himself I thought to be long since dead. My, my, Brief, you're just full of surprises. Of course, it seems you weren't thorough enough. I have a brilliant idea. Mr. Tao," he addressed.

"Yes, Sir?"

"I have a job for you."

…

"Take that, asshole!"

"Yeah!"

The three women shrieked as they ducked behind the rocks as a huge wave came rolling in. It splashed over their already soaked bodies, clad in bikinis. The two brothers smirked with mischief as they cornered the women. They grabbed Chichi and Launch (in her blonde form), Bulma having sacrificed them to the ferocity of the more heavily saiyan bred men to escape herself.

As she scampered off, leaving a trail of water behind, she giggled at the cries of protest. "Bulma, you traitor! Get back here!"

She laughed outright. "I promise to avenge you!"

"Damnit!" they wailed. Seeing Raditz and Goku more than occupied, she ducked behind a large boulder. They'd been playing this game for about an hour now in the pool at the base of the waterfall. Sort of a mock battle type thing. The guys versus girls. Krillin and Juu rested on the shore, content to watch. The group did this whenever they all had leave at the same time, which wasn't that often. Of course, it never hurt that the guys decided not to wear shirts, and vice versa that the females were in bathing suits.

Yes, it was quite fun.

There was only one problem with Bulma's recent escape.

Vegeta was nowhere in sight.

That probably meant that he was stalking her like prey. She knew he was stronger, faster than her, but she was a fucking genius and clever enough to outsmart him. Of course, she knew her self-assurances would prove to be false since he was a brilliant tactical thinker, and could probably smell her with his saiyan nose. Still, she stood a slight chance. She just had to figure out where he was.

"You know it is dishonorable to abandon one's comrades in battle." She shrieked again as he popped out of thin air, hanging by his knees from a tree branch. She took off running, laughing along the way, and began to climb up the waterfall. It was a tall thing to climb. The hybrid prince smirked as he took off after her.

He had a _lovely_ view from below her.

She hoisted herself over the edge and dashed to the edge of the rushing river. Jumping in, she let herself be carried to the end of the cliff. Just in time too, for her lover was fast approaching. She went over, waving at him smugly as she disappeared. He growled playfully as he swam to catch up with the crafty woman. Raditz and Goku whooped, catcalled, whistled, and hollered as they saw two bodies freefalling towards the water. The first hit, followed shortly by the other. Not even thirty seconds later, Vegeta emerged from the water with Bulma slung over his shoulder, her slender hands balled into fists as she pounded on his back for the most undignified manner he was transporting her. Her wails fell on deaf ears as the brothers laughed.

Vegeta grinned manically as he tried in vain to shake the spiky bangs that fell in front of his face. It was the only part of his hair that could ever be weighed down by water. He blamed it on his slight human breeding.

They stood in the shallows. "I have caught my woman. I believe that means our team has won, yet again." The Sons cheered. "I think we should take our rewards now." Hauling their grumbling captives with them, they swam back to deeper waters and the pairs split off. They dove under water, and remained there for about half a minute before emerging, panting heavily. Raditz and Launch, as per usual, came up, still locked at the lips.

The rest of them groaned with mild annoyance. Vegeta gagged.

As everyone else went back inside to dry off and eat lunch, the prince and Bulma remained, simply lounging under the shade of a tree near the shore. They listened to the rushing water as their skin slowly dried. He had an arm around her waist as she rested her head on his chest.

They both knew that it could be years before the war was over and things got back on the right track. They knew they could get hurt or killed in their line of work. They knew they could lose everything. But nonetheless, they were able to sit in peace and not worry about the future, however uncertain it may be.

Of course, one would never have suspected that they would ever be a couple at first. They hated each other right off the bat. To him, she was an annoying, loud-mouthed girl that didn't know her place. To her, he was a foolish and arrogant boy that was just full of himself.

They fought constantly. They would fling insults, mockeries, curses, and anything else they could think of as children. Over time, their arguments became like a game to them, though they weren't really aware of it. In actuality, it wasn't until they physically fought one another under some absurd circumstance that they realized they liked one another. After that, they decided to become a team, and four years later, they were making astounding progress against the Red Ribbon Army

It was about two hours later that Bulma and the surly prince made their way to the briefing room, already dressed for a mission with their weapons concealed. "Wonder what it's going to be this time."

"Hn."

She knocked thrice before the door slid open to reveal her father. "'Sup, Dad?" It was then she noticed his expression was quite serious.

When her father took up the position at the head of the resistance force, he knew he would not live an easy life. His once lavender hair turned white quickly from the stress. He took up smoking. If he wasn't in a meeting or organizing a strike, he was in his lab, slaving away at some advantageous machine. And despite all of his work and diligence, he somehow managed to make time for being a father to Bulma.

"I have a rescue mission for you two." He pointed to the holographic map. "There's an underground prison in the Sahara desert. An old friend of mine has recently been discovered alive there. I would split Goku and Raditz and put them into a team for this, but I fear they may be hindered by their connection to this."

"Who is it?"

"You remember how our resistance came to be?" She nodded. Vegeta blinked.

"It's their father isn't it? Bardock." There was no question in his voice.

"Yes, my boy."

Bulma waved at Krillin and Juu as they took off from the drop off point. Vegeta was already pulling out the sky bikes. They got on and rode off to find the hidden prison.

Bulma frowned.

Something was very, very wrong.

Nothing bad had happened. They were more than a capable duo. But she could not get rid of the sinking feeling that something horrible was going to occur that night.

She turned her head slightly to find him looking at her. He was funny that way. Always knowing when something was bothering her. He would just stare until she told him and reassure her that everything was okay without ever saying a word. But he wasn't reassuring her this time. In fact, just looking at him made her heart clench, and she realized how dangerous their work was. How easily they could lose one another…

When they reached the entryway to the prison after ten miles on foot, she hesitated hacking the lock that would bring the door up.

"What?" He'd noticed she was abnormally on edge since they left the check point. To be honest, he was unsure of this mission as well. His saiyan heritage flowed strongly through him, and his instincts never led him astray. That was proven enough by his choice to be with the blue-haired woman at his side.

Still, he would not allow her to feed off of his worries and have them potentially screw the entire mission up.

Bulma furrowed her brows in thought for a moment. "You know I love you, right? More than anything?"

Usually, he would scoff and insist that she stop being sentimental, but she needed a support. Whatever she was concerned with was eating away at her confidence. "I know."

She nodded and worked her magic. The door slid upward, random weeds and sand rolling off of it as it opened to reveal a dark stairwell. They walked down side by side, weapons drawn and at the ready, though if everything went without a hitch, no one would even know they'd been there until they were long gone. They reached the bottom of the steps and Vegeta crept down the hall to his left with Bulma following close behind.

He began to tense up when there were so few guards to knockout/ and or kill stationed at a level A-2 holding facility. It was more than setting him on edge. They eventually reached the holding cells, and when they found the right number, 17G, Bulma hacked the lock. The door slid open to reveal a tall man with a rogue looking scar across his cheek and a muscular frame. Bulma's first thought was, 'Kami, Goku looks just like him.'

But this man's eyes were far more serious, calculating, logical, and mature. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm Bulma Brief and this is Vegeta Ouji. We're breaking you out." She removed his handcuffs. As she did so, Bardock looked her over. Yes, she was his old friend's daughter all grown up. And he didn't need to bother checking Vegeta. The flame of hair was more than enough to give it away.

As the three ran down the halls, Bulma handed Bardock one of her guns. They skidded to a stop when they saw a great number of guards blocking their path. More were fast coming on behind them. They were trapped.

"We were set up." Bardock and Bulma could only nod.

The soldiers leveled their weapons at them and moved closer. Vegeta glanced around him. There was a weak point in their formation that they wouldn't be able to cover in time. They could get through there. Pulling Bulma close in a display that looked like a dramatic and protective move one would find in the movies, he whispered, "I'll clear an opening. Then we run." She could barely hear him, but nodded almost imperceptibly. Bardock caught it too.

Suddenly, the prince dashed forward, and swiped at the guards. Within a matter of seconds, four had lost one or more limbs, and at least seven crumpled dead. Shots went off and the three criminals dashed for their only chance at escape.

Bulma and Bardock made it through without a problem. However, there was a surprised gasp as a loud band echoed, and then a deafening thump as a body fell to the floor. She turned just to see Vegeta on the ground, a dart sticking from the back of his neck as he slowly lost consciousness.

She shrieked and started running to help him. His eyes were unhurriedly closing, but he could still make her form out. He heard the soldiers surrounding him, and knew she would be captured if she came any closer. "Go…foolish woman," he choked out.

Bulma's sprinting came to a halt as she felt Bardock grab her from behind and start running. Before she could react, her prince had disappeared around the bend of the corner. When she realized her feet were scrambling to stay upright, and that Bardock was dragging her away, she tried to slap him away.

"No! Stop! We have to go back! We can't leave him behind!" Bardock only tugged her more forcefully.

"We won't be any help to him if we are taken as well! The best way to help is to get out of here while we still can!" Sure enough, thundering footsteps were chasing them. Alarms were screeching. Everything was in chaos, but she could only see him lying there helpless. He was not helpless. Vegeta didn't _do _helpless. It wasn't right.

She needed him.

She choked back a sob as she decided he was right, and started running with him to the exit. She felt the air shift as bullets whizzed past, but ignored them as she kept her pace.

They burst out the door to the underground prison, hopped on the air bikes, and sped away. Bardock was surprised when no further chase was given, but simply followed the blue haired woman to the checkpoint. As he rode behind her, he felt a wetness hit his cheek. He looked up, and saw her furious and determined tears trailing behind them.

"I'm going to get him back."

"I have no doubt."

The entire ride back, she made no sound, holding everything in. Bardock saw the whites of her knuckles as they gripped the handle bars tightly, and sympathized with her. He'd felt something similar when he'd lost his mate. But, she had a chance to get him back, something he didn't. He decided that there wasn't going to be another romantic tragedy like that because of him.

When they stepped into the helicopter, Juu turned around to greet them, only to stop the witty insult she'd prepared for the Hybrid prince. She looked at her friend, then back to their ally that they'd come to rescue. She saw the tear stains and red cheeks, and knew she would regret asking what came next.

"Where's Vegeta?"

Bulma fell to the floor, the blonde woman barely having time to catch her as she began sobbing fresh and furious tears.

She would get him back.

She would get him back if it was the last thing she ever did.

_A/N: Noo! Veggie! I know it's unexpected, sort of, but it will eventually make sense. I'm trying to make the pace for this one pretty fast since I know R&F dragged on like, forever!_

_Review my lovely and insane internet friends! Review!_


	3. Plots and Schemes

He was excited. More than that, he was thrilled to see his old friend once more. He'd already called for Raditz and Goku to meet him when Bulma and Vegeta got back from their mission. He was looking forward to Bardock's arrival. It would be a happy event. Kami knew they needed more.

However, as he stood in the hangar, waiting for the stealth helicopter to fully stop so the youngsters could get out, he sensed something was off. That feeling was cut off though, as an ecstatic cry bounced off the walls as the first person stepped out of the vehicle.

"Dad!"

Both Son boys crashed into their father's chest in a positively bone-crunching hug. He didn't seem to mind as he returned the gesture with enthusiasm and ruffled their hair. "How's it been, boys?"

Goku didn't remember much about his rather gruff dad since he was so young when he was captured, but he knew he admired the man very much. Raditz remembered everything about him. The man was his role model and friend. When he'd gone missing, he hadn't been sure he'd be okay.

Dr. Brief smiled warmly at them. He and his daughter were very dominantly human, though he was certain there were saiyan genes mixed up in there somewhere. As far as the Son men went, as well as Vegeta, they were incredibly in tune with one another. To have that kind of tie severed at such young ages must have been devastating, but now they were being rebuilt.

Juu and Bulma emerged not a minute later with Krillin. The blue-haired woman leaned heavily on the blonde and for a moment, her father thought she was severely injured.

He was right.

But it wasn't a physical injury.

She had stopped crying after about half an hour when they got in and left. Juu took her right by her father to her room, ignoring the question in the old scientist's eyes. The bald midget was removing his gloves as he sighed.

"Krillin, what happened? And why is Vegeta still in the copter?"

Almost dejectedly, he looked up. "Vegeta's not in there."

Realization slowly began to sink in, but not totally. "Why would he ride his air bike all the way back here? That's at least a week long trip."

"He's not. They got him. He went in with Bulma, and he didn't come out. Bardock can fill you in later. Juu's trying to help her calm down. I'm going to bed."

To say the news hit him hard would be an understatement. He thought of the lad as a son. He made his little girl happier than anything. He couldn't be gone. He was the most skilled agent within the entire organization. There was no way. It simply was not possible.

Unless.

It had been a trap.

He should have known. The information had been too easily obtained. He should have known.

They had to get him back. Fast.

In her room, Bulma laid face down, clutching Vegeta's pillow. She couldn't cry anymore. Juu stood to the side, not sure what to do to comfort her. It wasn't fair. He'd gotten them out and yet he had paid the price. She tried to think back, find any warning sign she could have picked up on to prevent this. There wasn't much.

Juu excused herself when Bulma went to shower. If there was one place she could think, it was there. They hadn't followed them back out. They gave chase, but didn't pursue them any further than the exit. Then it hit her.

They weren't looking to reclaim Bardock or get her as well.

They were trying to separate them from Vegeta.

And they fell for it.

The thought that it was her fault made her want to cry more, but she refused. As she dressed she began to think about what could be done to get him back. She was fairly certain that they weren't going to kill him. They would have done so the second he was down if that was their goal. So what did they want from him? Would they try to bargain with the resistance to get information? Was there some sort of public morale trick to this?

The questions were endless. She was tired, emotionally stressed, and it would only worsen with the coming days and up until he was holding her again. She would speak with her father in the morning and start coming up with a rescue plan as fast as possible.

Her meeting with Bardock and her father did not go well. Especially at 5:00 in the morning.

They hadn't had enough time to fully extend their resources to find out more about what Gero would want the hybrid prince for. Until then, all they could do was sit back and wait. Charging in blindly (and maybe into the wrong facility) was a move likely to get many people killed. It was why Brief hadn't allowed Raditz and Goku to get Bardock themselves.

The information did not sit well with Bulma.

She yelled. She argued. And she wore herself out enough for the men to calm her down to the point of thinking with logic.

There was almost nothing she could do.

Four days. That's how long he'd been gone, and she was ready to rip her hair out with worry. No one had bothered her as it proved to be potentially hazardous to their mental, physical, and emotional health. She slaved away in her lab, working on the armor, disabling the network, anything that might help.

She would rise before the sun, go to the lab, eat a small breakfast, train with one of her friends, pour over data, eat lunch, go back to the lab, review more data, shower if she remembered, and go to sleep at no earlier than 1 o'clock.

There were dark circles under her eyes, and her shoulders hunched ever so slightly. Launch knew she wasn't the only one to notice.

…

He scowled ahead as the ornate door got closer and closer as he was marched down the hall, eight guards surrounding him, his hands locked behind his back, and cameras watching his every move.

He would have rolled his eyes were it not for the dire situation he was in. he'd woken up restrained by what looked like a high tech strait jacket in a room with one door and walls made of almost a foot of solid steel. No, they weren't taking any chances with him. Whatever they wanted with him must have been quite important for such close vigilance to be executed.

When he stepped into the throne room of who Bulma called, "His Almighty Emperor Ass-ness."

Only four days, and he missed her more than anything. She'd gotten out, for his saiyan hearing caught the whirring of the air bike engines. While his captors had been busy giving false chase as he lied on the floor blacking out, Vegeta had managed to smash his communicator and any other device that might lead the RRA to the rebellion's front door.

He just hoped she wouldn't do something stupid.

She probably would anyway.

He liked that.

Life had been a bitch since that mission. He had only been fed twice, and they had put him in an absurd uniform that was like a black jump suit, only with a tracking device and electrocuting wires running throughout the damned thing.

To be honest, he wasn't really that concerned about breaking out. He knew his woman would go to hell and beyond to get him back, and trusted her capabilities to do so. What he _was_ worried about was the danger of him becoming a liability to the organization.

While they had been able to roughly speculate, he still had no idea just what kind of technology Gero had developed. He could be brainwashed, or given some deadly disease to spread to his fellow agents against his better knowledge. There were so many threats to look out for, and he didn't even know what more than half of them could be.

Of course, there was also that apprehension about being subjected to torture for information, or becoming a lab rat.

Or being killed.

He, very much, did not want to die. Kakarot, Raditz, Chichi, Krillin, Juu, Dr. Brief, Launch…Bulma. He had too many people and obligations to live for.

He scowled. No matter what, even if it meant that he was never freed, he would not endanger them.

They shoved him roughly so that he stood on a circular cut out in the floor where a thick energy shot up, locking him in a tube-shaped prison too small for him to take one step in. Gero sat on his throne with an irritating grin.

And being Vegeta, he couldn't help but be as much of a smartass as possible.

"So it's true then. You really _are_ more hideous in person. I didn't think it was possible."

The man frowned. "I'd be silent if I were you, monkey. Unlike you, I am not tainted with that foul and primitive blood."

"This "foul and primitive blood" of mine makes me easily five times stronger than you as it stands. Without that cowardly ki sucking network, that number would be exponentially higher. And what are you anyway? Your bloodline's efforts were to remain pure, right? Look what it's gotten you. You're the alien beast now."

The older man stood and strode to the prince. They stared at each other; Gero with irritation, Vegeta with smug arrogance, just daring him to do something. So, the tyrant clicked a button on his wrist watch, and the energy trapping him enveloped his entire body, wracking him with painful shocks and stings. He grunted as his body tensed, but managed to glare at the old man anyway. Finally, the freak stopped it as he felt his veins ignite.

"It's interesting that you would call me an alien beast, actually. You see, that's exactly why I need you. You're only a miniscule percent human. Two, maybe three ancestors of yours at most were human. You are quite obviously the best candidate for what I have in mind. In fact, I wouldn't have even thought of it if you and you whore hadn't raided my base in Taiwan for files on the Lunar project."

Vegeta growled lowly at the insult to Bulma. However, the mention of a "Lunar project" confused him. They hadn't even known about that. They'd been after more info on the ki network, but had found nothing. That tip had been a dead end.

"What do you want from me?"

There was a malicious glint to his eyes. "I want the ancient power of the Oozaru." He laughed. "Right in the palm of my hand."

…

"We shouldn't be here."

"I know, and I don't care."

"But, Bul-!" Her hand clamped over his mouth before he could finish.

"Remember, _Clark,_ that's not my name. It's _Marie._" Goku nodded vigorously. He did not want to invoke Bulma's wrath at that moment. She had been on edge since Vegeta went missing a week ago and if anything, she got worse with every passing minute.

They were currently wandering the barracks of one of the RRA's training areas. They were posing as new recruits. They had all of the fake documents they would ever need. Bulma had gone so far as to dye her hair brown and wear green contacts. She had developed an adhesive that they had put over their fingers to alter their fingerprints that dissolved after twenty minutes.

Raditz and Launch had come too. They were on the other side of the grounds trying to be social and sneak information from soldiers. Bulma had made a serum for the split personality woman to take so she would remain in her blonde form even if she sneezed.

It had been difficult for Goku and especially Raditz to tear themselves from their father when Bulma asked for help, but they had done so for her and Vegeta's sake. They had gone nearly all of their childhood without him, and he would be waiting for them when they returned.

He'd seemed intrigued by the mentions of Launch and Chichi.

He was impressed with how quickly she gathered the necessary data to get in. Of course, he was more terrified of her than anything else in that moment. She pushed as she wove through the crowd, the Son boy doing his best to keep up.

Launch had been assigned to work in the archives after her "terrible" fighting performance in the testing arena for the new recruits. It couldn't have been more perfect.

Raditz was going to report to some guy named General Grey. He would act as sort of a messenger between platoons and him as he gave out orders. Also an ideal position.

And him? Well, Goku was somehow supposed to go through their combat training program with Bulma, make it look like it wasn't a cake walk, and somehow get them both shipped to the capital where they could go after Gero to get Vegeta.

The big trick to all of this?

Dr. Brief had no idea they were there. Chichi, Juu, and Krillin were the only ones back at central command that knew.

Oh boy.

It wasn't even worth describing. Fifteen laps around camp, 100 pushups, 60 sit-ups, running though a two mile long obstacle course twice with a ten pound bag of sand on each shoulder, 30 laps in an Olympic sized pool, five minute spar with a robot…

Honestly.

It was just so damn easy.

No wonder a fourth rank team could take out a level D-7 weapons factory. They were too soft on their men.

He winced as Bulma nudged his harshly in the ribs again. He resumed his _heavy, exhausted _breathing. Most of the sweat was coming from the heat of the midday sun.

"Now I bet you didn't find that very easy, did you?" The big official commander spoke with a smug look of satisfaction as he looked down at the newbies. He proceeded to go on a lengthy lecture about the prides of the RRA, working hard, staying true and loyal to Emperor Gero, how he understood it was no one's fault that they had saiyan blood (that ticked him off), and how they would crush the Rebellion and make them beg for mercy.

With every word he spoke, Bulma grew angrier and angrier. She knew that coming there she would be exposed to the hatred of the RRA. Glancing around her, she saw that some agreed whole-heartedly with the commander, while others stared at their feet with shame. Then she remembered that not all of the soldiers were there voluntarily. Gero over taxed everyone, leaving them piss poor and scrambling to make ends meet. The military was the empire's main focus, and thus where the best money was. Not all of them agreed with what was being said, but they didn't have much choice.

Still, this bastard hated the blending of the blood. He was very flamboyant. But that wasn't the most surprising part.

The commander's name was Paragus.

There was an interesting story to that man. More specifically, his son, Brolly, who had run away and landed himself in the resistance after the sick-o led an assault on their own protesting village for refusal to pay the outrageous taxes. He was a second rank, right up there with Goku, Launch, Chichi, and Raditz.

As she lay down on her stiff cot within the women's dorm, Bulma wondered if everything would work out. What if they were caught? What if they couldn't find Vegeta? What if something happened?

What if he was already dead?

The thought alone brought tears to her eyes, but she held them back so as not to be heard by the other female soldiers. He had never liked it when she cried, and he had especially hated it when he was the cause for such tears.

"A waste of time and energy when you could be doing something productive to better the situation," he'd told her. She remembered when they were younger, she had been building something when he entered her lab. They were thirteen and fifteen respectively, and even though he was the bane of her existence at the time, she did admit to admiring his physique.

Training relentlessly had many benefits for the prince, to say the least.

He had pestered her until she retaliated. They argued for a time. One of them said the wrong thing. She couldn't remember who or what it was about. The conversation shifted then, into one of the first civil interactions they'd had with each other since they'd met. It had been interesting to see a different side of him.

She reviewed, replayed, and reflected on those wonderful moments spent with her prince "charming" as she tried to fall asleep.

…

He was pissed. How pissed, you may ask? Almost comparable to when he found out that the RRA had captured his oldest allies and locked them away for years.

So, very, very pissed.

Despite the disastrous state that the world was in, it was actually incredibly difficult to anger him. So, this level of pissed-off-i-tude was indeed a rare and frightening sight to all.

Especially the young adults that found themselves seated in Dr. Briefs' office.

Chichi, Krillin, and even Juu were practically shaking in their boots as he demanded to know where his daughter had run off to in hopes of rescuing her lover.

To be honest, they were too paralyzed with fear to answer. Bardock's looming presence behind them did not help their apprehension as he wanted to know where his sons had gone with her.

And as they aging man stared down at them with a more menacing scowl than what was ever expected of Vegeta on his darkest days, they knew that they couldn't last much longer.

"I'm going to ask you one more time. Where. Are. They?"

_A/N: Goku's alias, TFS reference if you've ever watched their parody of the Bardock special._

_Okay, I NEED HELP! I was challenged by one of my mom's friends. A small drug prescription bottle with quarters crammed in. I'm supposed to figure out how to get them out without damaging the bottle. Any ideas? He took them out and put them back in (I wasn't allowed to look) within a few minutes so it's not that complicated. Any suggestions?_


End file.
